Wireless device including a multiband antenna system

Abstract

A wireless handheld or portable device includes an antenna system operable in a first frequency region and a higher, second frequency region. The antenna system comprises an antenna structure, a matching and tuning system, and an external input/output (I/O) port. The antenna structure comprises at least one radiating element including a connection point, a ground plane layer including at least one connection point, and at least one internal I/O port. At least one radiating element of the antenna structure protrudes beyond the ground plane layer. The antenna structure features at any of its internal I/O ports when disconnected from the matching and tuning system an input return loss curve having a minimum at a frequency outside the first frequency region of the antenna system. The matching and tuning system modifies the impedance of the antenna structure and provides impedance matching to the antenna system in the first and second regions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless handheld or portable device comprising:
 an antenna system configured to operate in a first frequency region comprising a first frequency band, and a second frequency region comprising a second frequency band, said first and second frequency regions including a frequency gap in between; 
 the antenna system comprising an antenna structure, a passive matching and tuning system, and an external input/output (I/O) port; 
 the antenna structure comprising:
 a radiating element including a connection point; 
 a ground plane layer having a perimeter within a ground plane rectangle that is the minimum-sized rectangle that encompasses the ground plane layer, the ground plane layer including at least one connection point at a corner of the ground plane rectangle; and 
 an internal I/O port coupled between the connection point of the radiating element and the at least one connection point of the ground plane layer; 
 
 the radiating element of the antenna structure extending beyond an edge of the ground plane layer, wherein at least a portion of an orthogonal projection of the radiating element on a plane containing the ground plane layer does not overlap the ground plane rectangle; 
 the passive matching and tuning system comprising a first I/O port connected to the internal I/O port of the antenna structure, and a second I/O port connected to the external input/output (I/O) port of the antenna system; 
 the antenna structure featuring an intrinsic frequency in the frequency gap between the first frequency region and the second frequency region, the intrinsic frequency being a first minimum of an input return loss curve of the antenna structure at the internal I/O port when disconnected from the passive matching and tuning system; 
 the passive matching and tuning system modifying an impedance of the antenna structure and providing impedance matching to the antenna system to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals in the first frequency band; 
 wherein a longest side of a radiator rectangle of the radiating element has a dimension smaller than one twentieth of a free-space operating wavelength corresponding to a lowest frequency of the first frequency region; and 
 wherein a radiator contour of the radiating element features a complexity factor F 21  less than 1.50 and a complexity factor F 32  less than 1.50. 
 
     
     
       2. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 1 , wherein the complexity factor F 21  is less than 1.3, and the complexity factor F 32  is less than 1.4. 
     
     
       3. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 1 , wherein the complexity factor F 21  is less than 1.2, and the complexity factor F 32  is less than 1.4. 
     
     
       4. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 1 , wherein the complexity factor F 21  is less than 1.2, and the complexity factor F 32  is less than 1.2. 
     
     
       5. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the radiating element of the antenna structure comprises a volumetric geometry including a face that is coplanar with the ground plane layer and surfaces extending substantially perpendicular to the ground plane layer to a predetermined height above the ground plane layer. 
     
     
       6. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the radiating element of the antenna structure comprises a substantially parallelepiped shape. 
     
     
       7. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the radiating element of the antenna structure comprises a substantially cube shape. 
     
     
       8. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio between the intrinsic frequency and a frequency is between 1 and 3, where the frequency is a frequency, other than the intrinsic frequency, of the input return loss curve at which the absolute value of a slope of the input return loss curve is smaller than the absolute value of the slope of the input return loss curve at any other frequency within a frequency interval centered at the secondary frequency. 
     
     
       9. A wireless handheld or portable device comprising:
 an antenna system configured to operate in a first frequency region comprising a first frequency band, and a second frequency region comprising a second frequency band, said first and second frequency regions including a frequency gap in between; 
 the antenna system comprising an antenna structure, a passive matching and tuning system, and an external input/output (I/O) port; 
 the antenna structure comprising:
 a radiating element including a connection point; 
 a ground plane layer having a perimeter within a ground plane rectangle that is the minimum-sized rectangle that encompasses the ground plane layer, the ground plane layer including at least one connection point at a corner of the ground plane rectangle; and 
 an internal I/O port coupled between the connection point of the radiating element and the at least one connection point of the ground plane layer; 
 
 the radiating element of the antenna structure extending beyond an edge of the ground plane layer, wherein at least a portion of an orthogonal projection of the radiating element on a plane containing the ground plane layer does not overlap the ground plane rectangle; 
 the passive matching and tuning system comprising a first I/O port connected to the internal I/O port of the antenna structure, and a second I/O port connected to the external input/output (I/O) port of the antenna system; 
 the antenna structure featuring an intrinsic frequency in the frequency gap between the first frequency region and the second frequency region, the intrinsic frequency being a first minimum of an input return loss curve of the antenna structure at the internal I/O port when disconnected from the passive matching and tuning system, 
 the passive matching and tuning system modifying an impedance of the antenna structure and providing impedance matching to the antenna system to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals in the first frequency band; 
 wherein a longest side of a radiator rectangle of the radiating element has a dimension smaller than one twentieth of a free-space operating wavelength corresponding to a lowest frequency of the first frequency region; and 
 wherein a radiator contour of the radiating element has no more than 25 segments. 
 
     
     
       10. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 9 , wherein the radiator contour of the radiating element has not more than 10 segments. 
     
     
       11. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 9 , wherein the radiator contour of the radiating element features a complexity factor F 21  less than 1.35 and a complexity factor F 32  less than 1.4. 
     
     
       12. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the radiating element of the antenna structure comprises a volumetric geometry including a face that is coplanar with the ground plane layer and surfaces extending substantially perpendicular to the ground plane layer to a predetermined height above the ground plane layer. 
     
     
       13. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the radiating element of the antenna structure comprises a substantially parallelepiped shape. 
     
     
       14. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the radiating element of the antenna structure comprises a substantially cube shape. 
     
     
       15. The wireless handheld or portable device according to  claim 9 , wherein a ratio between the intrinsic frequency and a frequency is between 1 and 3, where the frequency is a frequency, other than the intrinsic frequency, of the input return loss curve at which the absolute value of a slope of the input return loss curve is smaller than the absolute value of the slope of the input return loss curve at any other frequency within a frequency interval centered at the secondary frequency.